---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - Land-use change, such as the transformation of woody ecosystems into open pastures,
    acts as a strong ecological filter, favouring some species while excluding others
    according to differences in ecological niche breadth. Understanding how differences
    in niche breadth influence species responses under anthropogenic filters is crucial
    to anticipate their persistence or displacement. In this study, we quantified
    realized niche breadth in two sympatric ecosystem engineers, the Neotropical leaf-cutter
    ants Atta cephalotes and Atta laevigata, to test whether breadth differences are
    consistent with specialist and generalist ecological strategies. We characterized
    realized niche breadth across fine-scale environmental gradients by integrating
    hemispherical photography, microclimatic data, mound architecture, and edaphic
    profiles from 114 colonies across a regional transect in the Colombian Andes,
    alongside macroclimatic data from Copernicus. Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
    and PERMANOVA identified canopy openness and bushes- and tree-type vegetation
    density as the principal axes of interspecific niche partitioning. The observed
    differences in realized niche breadth were consistent with specialist and generalist
    ecological strategies. A. laevigata was predominantly associated with open-canopy
    areas, warmer micro- and macroclimatic conditions, and narrower edaphic dispersion.
    In contrast, A. cephalotes occupied a wider range of microhabitat conditions.
    This broader realized niche breadth is compatible with previous reports of A.
    cephalotes occurring in urban areas. Together, these findings suggest that niche
    breadth may influence how Neotropical leaf-cutter ants respond to habitat transformation,
    helping to understand the ecological consequences of land-use change.@eng
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Diego Fernando
      foaf_name: Garcia Castillo, Diego Fernando
      foaf_surname: Garcia Castillo
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=ae681a14-dc74-11ea-a0a7-c6ef18161701
  bibo_doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0351518
  bibo_issue: '10'
  bibo_volume: 21
  dct_date: 2026^xs_gYear
  dct_isPartOf:
  - http://id.crossref.org/issn/1932-6203
  dct_language: eng
  dct_publisher: Public Library of Science@
  dct_title: 'Generalism vs. specialization: Does niche breadth influence species
    responses to anthropogenic land-use change in Neotropical leaf-cutter ants?@'
  fabio_hasPubmedId: '42821535'
...